Describing the effect of chiropractic cervical manipulation on disturbed sleeping patterns

Abstract:Purpose: To describe whether chiropractic cervical manipulation may have an effect on disturbed sleeping patterns. Method: All volunteers were required to complete the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, which ultimately resulted in the recruitment of ten participants who matched the inclusion and exclusion criteria. After the selection process had been completed, the first consultation was conducted. In this consultation, an information form was given to the participants, and each was asked to sign an informed consent form. Pre-consultation education regarding the use of the FitBit was also completed. Thereafter, a full case history was taken and a full physical exam as well as a cervical spine regional exam was performed. Each participant’s FitBit data, personal comments, MLSEQ and LSEQ were used by the researcher to describe whether or not chiropractic cervical manipulation had an effect on each participant’s disturbed sleeping pattern. Each participant attended six consultations over a period two weeks. Chiropractic treatment took place at four of the six consultations. Procedure: At each consultation, the participants were required to report on any changes they had experienced from the previous consultation, whether it was related to chiropractic treatment or not. They were required to fill out the modified portion of the Leeds Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire, which was collected and compared at the end of the trial. The orthopaedic tests that presented positive on the first consult were re-tested to identify any changes or improvements. The participants were also treated with a chiropractic cervical manipulation from the second to the fifth visit. At the end of the study, the participants were required to fill out the full Leeds Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire and return the FitBit. The modified Leeds Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire, the full Leeds Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire and the FitBit data were analysed and reported on. Results: Clinically, rather limited trends or linear improvements were presented. Some participants showed an improvement on some nights of the study, but not often enough to comment on. Statistically, the results that presented were insignificant; this may be due to the small sample size and perhaps because the study did not take place over a long enough period. Conclusion: The participants did not show sufficient objective changes over the course of the study to substantiate any evidence of change. Rather limited linear trends of improvements presented for all measures of..